MoTab was a weekend of firsts for me. First time traveling outside Canada by myself. First time to Utah. First time seeing the Rocky Mountains. First time traveling anywhere west at all. First (and second, and third, and fourth) time in the cool Detroit airport tunnel. First time meeting anyone from the Internet. First time experiencing Refnaf’s awesome driving skills (jk :P). First time seeing David sing Christmas songs live. First time meeting David Archuleta.

And I’m not going to lie — I was kinda scared about a couple of these things. But I knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and if I passed it up (just because I was nervous), I’d be so disappointed with myself. Plus – if David was brave enough to perform in front of 21,000 people, of course I could get on a plane and fly to Utah. How could I even compare my nerves to his? And I knew there was no way he wouldn’t follow through, so I forced myself to suck it up and just do it. And I am soooooo glad I did.

Utah was BEAUTIFUL. The whole weekend, I never got tired of just looking at the mountains. I tried to take it all in as much as possible, so I can remember how incredibly stunning those mountains are forever. Temple Square was also soooo pretty. I have never seen Christmas lights like that — thousands of lights wrapped around every branch of every tree. And the lights on the temple and the architecture of the buildings — I don’t have words to describe the beauty of the whole place.

"Hello, how are you?" (Photos: Deseret Books)

And the concerts — if I don’t have words to adequately describe Temple Square, I definitely don’t have words to describe the concerts. When I first walked into the Conference Center, I was completely floored by the size of the building and the incredible set and organ that was on the stage. I had seen pictures, but was not prepared for the actual thing! There were so many talented people in both the orchestra and the choir. It’s amazing to have so much talent up on one stage!

It had been a long time since I had seen David live (the one time), so I’d almost forgotten what it was like. I’d forgotten how incredibly shocking it is to see him there in the flesh. Obviously I was expecting him, but every time he walked in I was struck by the thought “Oh my gosh, he is real.”

I’d almost forgotten what it’s like, how when he sings, the whole rest of the world seems to go dim and the only thing you can even think about is his singing, and how it is making you feel. You forget that there are 21,000 other people in the building because it seems he is singing right to you. And in that moment, connecting with David seems to be the most important thing in the world, and other “less important” things (like breathing) seem to get forgotten.

It’s hard to pick, but I think my favourite song he performed was “Angels from the Realms of Glory.” There’s something about the way that arrangement of the songs builds on itself that is completely breathtaking. The orchestra, David, the choir, the bell ringers, the dancers all seem to feed off each other to create this incredibly magical moment right at the end of the concert.

And even though bell ringers and dancers had walked in and there was about 500 people on stage, when David sang the last verse — “Though an Infant now we view Him, He shall fill His Father’s throne. Gather all the nations to Him; Every knee shall then bow down” — he made me stop and think about the lyrics. Usually, unless I’m consciously trying not to, I tend to skim over lyrics and don’t think too much about them. But he sang this verse with such conviction, the lyrics really stood out, and you could tell he really meant what he was singing. It was just incredible to experience.

"You're abanana??? I LOVE bananas!"

And to top off my weekend, I got to meet David! 😀 If it was weird to see David from my seat in the conference centre, it was crazy to walk up to him and actually say something to him. Although it was super rushed and I didn’t say too much, lol. We stood in line a long time and it was only at the very end where you could actually see him. And by that time, you were only about 20 seconds away from it being your turn to go up and get your CD signed. I don’t remember much between when I first saw him and when it was my turn, although I must have watched TOfan and Refnaf go up and say something to him, but I have no memory of that at all. Luckily, I do mostly remember my 5 seconds with him. We said hi to each other and then I kinda blanked for a second and said nothing. Then he asked me how I was and I said “good” (hahahahahaha). Then he gave my CD back to me, made 1 millisecond of eye contact and then moved on to the next person behind me in line.

When I told my brother how I didn’t really say anything I meant to say, he told me I “choked.” I did kinda, but I don’t even care! It was beyond amazing to be one foot away from David and to actually have him say something to you and be able to respond! Wow, I still can’t believe it happened. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it! I’ve already classified that as one of the best 5 seconds of my entire life 😀

This weekend was beyond amazing and completely exceeded my expectations! I am soooo grateful to have been able to experience it! I met some of the nicest people ever, and can never thank them enough for everything. And now that I’ve experienced all these things for the first time, I’m looking forward to hopefully getting to experience some of them for a second! (2011 tour, anyone?)

— abanana77*

*abanana77 is the Canadian university student who currently holds the world record for most times through the cool Detroit airport tunnel on one trip.

54 Responses to David Archuleta & MoTab Pt. 2: My ‘First’ Noël

“I’d almost forgotten what it’s like, how when he sings, the whole rest of the world seems to go dim and the only thing you can even think about is his singing, and how it is making you feel. You forget that there are 21,000 other people in the building because it seems he is singing right to you. And in that moment, connecting with David seems to be the most important thing in the world, and other “less important” things (like breathing) seem to get forgotten.”

I know for me that’s pretty much how I feel in his presence too! 🙂 Glad you were able to go & meet him!

Patty-Ann said exactly what I would say. I thoroughly enjoyed your recap and ‘felt’ your excitement through your words, and remember the moment when I felt as if David saw me there, enjoying a moment with him.

I didn’t go, and it wasn’t (only) nervousness that kept me home. It just wasn’t the right time for me because of family obligations. Looking forward to the next tour, though. Not only do I need to see and hear David perform again, but there are so many people online of whom I have become a fan, and I need to gradually, over time, shake their hands and say hello at the very least.

abanana, Thanks so much for your recap! I felt of your excitement! I love how you described everything! It made me feel like …..well, almost like….I was there! So happy you pushed thru your nervousness and went! I am sure you will cherish this time forever! YAY! thanks again!

abanana…..I am so thrilled for you that you were able to attend the MoTab concert and see David perform with such magnificence and then have the opportunity to meet him!
Even a few seconds with David is a very special and memorable experience! I don’t know anyone who meets David and manages to say just what they had planned to say to him. 🙂 So very happy for you that you had those moments. Loved reading about your experiences and yes…it was a long trip for you to make…by yourself….but you found the courage and went with your heart and boy, I know you are glad you did! A very treasured experience for you!
Thanks for sharing, it is so heartwarming to read about others experiences in SLC.
Your “First” Noel was a very blessed and beautiful one. ❤

Aah, abanana, that’s a lovely write-up! You write so beautifully and I love hearing the experience from one of my younger twitter peeps. Your bravery is admirable and I think you were more coherent than I was when I met David for my 4 seconds. Thanks for sharing your experience and for describing the beauty of it all so well. 🙂 I’m glad you got to go and that you got to meet David and so many wonderful Archie fans.

Awesome recap, Abanana!! Loved every beautifully described detail. I was not lucky enough to be witness to the glory of that weekend, but you made me feel like I was right there with you, taking it all in!

When I finally met David a few months ago, I also forgot much of what I’d planned to say…but it’s all good! The eye lock was a magical moment for sure…and as you said, now you know – he’s REAL!!

Here’s to your next encounter and mine… may we not have to wait too long! Keeping fingers crossed for that 2011 tour! 🙂

I love your re-cap! I remember seeing your name tag at the Taifoon luncheon and was hoping to speak with you but never did get it done. 😦 I’m so glad you were able to come to SLC and be a part of the dream with so many of the rest of us. While reading your write-up, it brought tears to my eyes and a huge lump in my throat as I realized that I live in these Utah mountains, I live 1 hour away from Temple Square and the opportunity to visit the Conference Center and the Tabernacle for live performances with the MoTab any weekend that I want, but I don’t do it. You’ve created in me a resolve to partake of these opportunities more frequently and not take them for granted any longer. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ❤

abanana – how I can relate to what you wrote! I, too, was a little apprehensive about traveling across the country alone to meet and stay with a fan I had never met face to face. She and I became friends on ND almost 3 years ago. I had to laugh when I read what you said about the tunnel in Detroit – I hardly noticed it as my flight was very late arriving to take me to Detroit and the gate I needed to get to for my connecting flight to SLC was at the opposite end of the airport so I was literally running through the airport. Was I in a tunnel:):):)??? I take your word on how cool the tunnel was :).

I am sorry I missed meeting you – next time! I am so glad you got to experience so many memorable firsts and I am in total agreement with my buddy Zoe – may none of us have too long to wait until our next encounter with David and with one another!

TOfan – I burst out laughing when I read this: “*abanana77 is the Canadian university student who currently holds the world record for most times through the cool Detroit airport tunnel on one trip.” Hahaha quite possible. I am officially a pro at finding my way from terminal A to terminal C in the Detroit airport 😛 Also “You’re abanana??? I LOVE bananas!” amazing.

af4l – Hahaha I did some legit running through the Detroit airport too! Man is it huge! But I feel lik you would have noticed you were in that tunnel if you had run through it, lol.

Tawna – Sad we did not meet 😦 Maybe next time! And everyone lives near something they take for granted. For you it’s mountains, for me it’s something else. But I love your resolve to try and take it in more! I should also try to “get up and look around” more often 😀

Thanks so much to everyone for their kind words! {{{{{Giant hugs to everyone}}}}}

p.s. I was visiting my dad today and had given him the Orla Fallon DVD a few weeks back as a Christmas present (he’s from Belfast & has a soft spot for Celtic music). As soon as I walked in the door, he gave me this newsflash: “Hey, David Archuleta’s on that DVD!”… um, ya, I said sheepishly. “Are you trying to brainwash me??” he laughed … um, ya, I said not-so-sheepishly. 😉

p.p.s. For anyone who needs a refresher on the cool Detroit airport tunnel:

abanana – I sooo enjoyed reading the joy in your words! Thank you especially for highlighting the words of the last verse of AFTROG – “Though an Infant now we view Him, He shall fill His Father’s throne. Gather all the nations to Him; Every knee shall then bow down” Such passion and conviction he sang with it just filled my heart.

“… All David had received was sheet music and David does much better when he can listen to the song and learn it that way. I was surprised that David was only doing one song from his Christmas album and 5 new songs so it was a lot for him to learn.

“I was mostly happy with the song choices however, especially the Spanish song and the ‘Cat and Mouse Carol.’ I thought those would both be great for the show. We made a rehearsal CD of the songs and went through them a few times. David then asked me to come to his rehearsal with Mack the next day.

“We worked with Mack the next day. The choir and orchestra had already been rehearsing the material for a couple of weeks, Mack did give us permission to change some notes here and there to feature David’s voice and style.

“One change that we did insist on though was to do a different arrangement of the Spanish song since the one that was originally done was a slower version, more like a lullaby. The version David was familiar with was much faster and more fun, so we insisted we needed the more up tempo version, (Which incidentally in hindsight was definitely the right decision!) Incidentally, Mack was “blown away” with David’s progress between his first and second rehearsals and how quickly David picked up all the new material after being able to hear it and work with it rather than just having the sheet music! …

“I was extremely proud of David and very happy with the performances. He definitely won over the audience and the choir and proved he deserves to be recognized with the great vocalists and performers of our day!”

(((((((abanana)))))))))))))
Loooove your recap!!!! It was such a joy to spend time with you, especially the anticipation as we waited in line on Friday and the mad dash we made to the cd signing……. what a team!!! I truly hope my driving did not scar you for life. (lol, my sis refuses to drive with me) but I tend to always get where I need to go.

Seeing you meeting David for the first time was pretty cool, glad we got to share that moment and thank you for sharing it here.

And this>>”How could I even compare my nerves to his? And I knew there was no way he wouldn’t follow through, so I forced myself to suck it up and just do it. And I am soooooo glad I did.” <<>” I’d forgotten how incredibly shocking it is to see him there in the flesh. Obviously I was expecting him, but every time he walked in I was struck by the thought “Oh my gosh, he is real.”<<< Ditto!!!

omgDavid – good to meet you too! I feel like I recognize more people online now that I’ve met them and I have a face to associate to their username! 🙂

awestruck – glad you loved that verse of AFTROG too 😀 It really was a magical moment in the concert for me.

refnaf – {{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}} Was soooo good to meet you! And no your driving didn’t scar me for life. I have driven with alot worse, lol. And we made SUCH a good team to get to the CD signing fast! Glad we did or maybe we wouldn’t have gotten in!

Also completely unrelated but I just discovered and old blog I used to write in a couple years ago and I found this post about David:

(written March 6 2008 – I checked and that’s when he made top 12 on American Idol)
“Anyways in other news… anyone watch American Idol??? Anyone else in LOVE with David Archuleta????? This kid is soooo amazing, I love his voice and he has such a cute personality. OH man, I have a mini obsession over him 😛 blah”

I don’t know about you guys but I’m feeling major MoTab withdrawal…I wish the DVD/CD was available NOW!

I showed my Silent Night vid to my dad and he couldn’t believe the audio was from my little camera… I tried to tell him it sounded so amazing not because of my camera but because THAT’s how incredible David’s voice is… sigh.

I hope David’s enjoying some pre-b-day celebrations with his family and getting some well-deserved rest. For anyone who will be on Twitter tomorrow, there’s an all-day Trending Party planned, so make sure to include the following in each of your tweets (just once, more than that could exclude your tweet):#HappyBdayArchie

TOfan, Refnaf, & Awestruck, you had me smiling ear to ear after reading your dittos comments from my house to the train station to pick up my hubby & back. I tried not to say ditto last night on my comment. I love you ladies for making my day. Now, can I say ditto x four?

(((TOfan))) I have been experiencing major MOTAB withdrawl…One question,”What do you do for it?” It is a real mood swinger, seriously!

abanana…Thank you for your recap. You have made me feel much better! I think that I need to read recaps for awhile longer. You brought it all back to me again. He will be with his band and will be singing pop very soon and we love that but in SLC, I found that every word carried with it truly amazing emotions and where in this world have you ever seen that before?

Thank you to SnowAngelz for the “Silent Night” video that you created. It is so full of beautiful memories accompanied by David! So many folks from different sites enjoyed the International Breakfast, the chats and the meeting of new friends. I am sorry that I was late but my only excuse is that I was in discussion about David and the events with my ‘roomate’ and time was lost to us!

I have much of my next year’s Christmas shopping done already. For anyone, actually everyone, they will be given a DVD of the memorable MOTAB’s Christmas concert.

abanana: Sounds like you put one foot in front of the other and made your way all the way to Utah! I’m so glad that you did and it was great to meet you. Thanks for the great re-cap. We will be reliving this one for a long time!

whoa, just reread Dean Kaelin’s MoTab comments and these two sentences leapt out at me:“David met with the choir and orchestra for the first time Tuesday evening December 14th. … The new arrangement of the Spanish song wasn’t ready until Wednesday so the first time David got to rehearse that was Wednesday night. 😯

That took my breath away too TOfan – also this
“Incidentally, Mack was “blown away” with David’s progress between his first and second rehearsals and how quickly David picked up all the new material after being able to hear it and work with it rather than just having the sheet music!”

abanana – thanks for sharing your entire experience, especially your trepidation about even going to Utah. I think we’ve all had that ‘what am I doing?’ feeling about our first time going through customs and immigration on a ‘David’ trip. Congrats on going out of your comfort zone – and for the rich rewards.

Love your recap! Sorry we didn’t meet in Utah. We didn’t, did we? lol. I met so many people there! What a rush to finally meet him the first time, huh? You did better than me. I almost had a panic attack before he even arrived at the meet and greet line in Bozier City, Louisisana. Then I went into my impression of a deer in the headlights when he finally did get there. I’m not saying how long I stood there like that, but if he’d been a truck he would have hit me. haha. Come to think of it, I think it was sorta like being hit by a truck. Anyhoo, love the description of your experience of his performance and everything you said and felt, I felt it too. He was unbelievable!

Speaking of unbelievable, TOfan, this bears reposting from Dean…“David met with the choir and orchestra for the first time Tuesday evening December 14th. … The new arrangement of the Spanish song wasn’t ready until Wednesday so the first time David got to rehearse that was Wednesday night.”

JR you said it felt weird knowing all the answers to the jepardy questions… well hubby and I had a very brief chat with Richard Parkinson and his wife Carla in SLC and I told him how much Silent Night teared my up pretty much every time I hear it, THEN I mentioned that David has indicated it felt weird to have fans. I then told Richard that he could tell David that for me it felt weird to BE a fan – especially at my age. To which they both laughed…

Love all the Birthday wishes out there for David. Awesome videos, wishes from various sites and media, he deserves very special wishes on this day, his 20th! Hope whoever he is with today (seems he’s working some, doing interviews, rehearsing, etc) is very good to him and he gets to eat to his heart’s content, all his favorite foods.
David most definitely makes you feel young again, makes me forget my age half the time (until I look in the mirror, lol)….but just another of his wonderful qualities.

I think it may be time for David to stop referring to himself as a ‘dork’. 🙂 He can be quirky and original but I don’t know of any ‘dorks’ who stand with the incredible MoTab choir and orchestra and sing with such magnificence, composure and grandeur. He is among the greats, don’t think a ‘dork’ could manage such a feat.
So… Happy Birthday today to one of the greats!
Thanks to all for the great posts here, hope everyone had a lovely holiday.

Lisa…I have been listening to David sing that Spanish song over and over…and over.
Just love it, his powerful rich voice is incredible and yes that ending note….fantastic! If he sounds that glorious from the videos, can only imagine hearing it live. I jump from song to song after listening to each one umpteen times and have been loving the Spanish carol….he seemed so happy to sing it too. Just wonderful.